The strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) is an evergreen Mediterranean shrub, famous for its edible red fruit and for being, together with the bear, the symbol on the coat of arms of Madrid.
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Division | Magnoliophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Ericales |
| Family | Ericaceae |
| Genus | Arbutus |
| Species | Arbutus unedo |
The strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) is a shrub or small tree between 4 and 10 m tall, with a reddish trunk covered in greyish scales and persistent, lanceolate, shiny green leaves.
Its white, urn-shaped flowers hang in reddish panicles. The fruit is a globose, warty berry that turns from yellow to orange and finally to a deep red when ripe.
It is widespread throughout the Mediterranean region, North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula, in mixed woodland, ravines and holm oak woodland slopes, from sea level up to 1,200 m in altitude.
It grows well in sandy, well-drained soils, prefers warm, sunny places, and is very sensitive to frost.
Its ripe fruit is used to make jams, preserves and traditional liqueurs, such as the well-known strawberry tree liqueur from Alicante.
The strawberry tree, together with a bear leaning against it, forms part of the coat of arms of Madrid. Although its exact origin is unclear, a popular explanation —recorded by the humorist Antonio Mingote— holds that it represents «the bear, the country's original inhabitant, hugging a tree to stop a councillor coming and cutting it down».
